The present invention relates to an apparatus for automatically applying tags to single or multi-layered articles including, without limitation, articles of wear made of fabric, leather and other materials that can be penetrated by tacks or bar locks of the type as is generally disclosed in Bone U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,666. The term "track" as used herein is intended to include all types of fastening means and is not intended to be limited to bar shaped tacks or lock-type fasteners. Hence, it is to be understood that references to "tack" and illustrations of a bar lock are not intended to be a limitation upon the scope of the invention. Additionally, the tack may be applied to and through articles other than fabric as, but not limited to, plastic wrappers, cardboard, etc.
In the past, it has been the practice to apply tags, such as price tags, identification tags and the like, to layered articles by the use of tacks or fasteners, as bar locks at the place or point of sale thereof which was generally the store from which the article was sold. Usually the price tags were marked with the selling price of the article when the article was first placed on display by the store. Hence, it was convenient for the store to apply its own tags to the articles. Oftentimes these tags were applied by hand in a hand held device of the kind disclosed in the Bone Patent which dispensed the tacks or bar locks.
When it became necessary to change the prices of the already tagged articles, the tacks or bar locks were cut free of the article to remove the same. After the old price tag was then removed and discarded, it was then necessary to prepare a new price tag and to tack or fasten the same to the article. To do this, a new bar lock or tack had to be applied to the article with the hand operated tag attaching apparatus of the type that is generally of the kind disclosed in the aforementioned patent to Bone.
The process of removing the old tag and applying a new tag and joining bar lock was laborious, time consuming, expensive and at times it was difficult to apply the bar lock or tack to just one ply or one layer of the multi-layered article. It frequently happened that when the new bar lock and tag was tacked to a multi-layered article, the tack or bar lock would be applied through more than just one ply or layer of the article. This resulted in locking or tacking closed the opening of the article, such as the neck of a shirt, or the sleeve of a suit or a coat, or the waist of a skirt and even the openings of a pair of gloves, which prevented the same from being opened fully and tried on by a prospective customer.
Moreover, the hand held apparatuses for applying the tacks or bar locks had a very limited capacity of bar locks that they could hold and dispense in a given period of use. Hence, it was necessary for the user of the apparatus to stop frequently to refill the apparatus with additional supplies of bar locks, much in the same manner as it is necessary to resupply hand operated staplers with strips of staples. Also, hand held aparatuses are prone to accidental stabbing of the hand of the user holding the garment by the needle of the hand held tool.